The extraordinary meeting of the
Advisory Board took place on 6 December 2014, a day before the ITU Telecom World 2014 event in Doha, Qatar.
The Advisory Board of the ITU Smart Sustainable Development Model Initiative released its first reports in Doha, Qatar, at an extraordinary meeting, which met on the eve of ITU Telecom World 2014 in session 7-10 December. The Advisory Board also adopted an Action Plan to guide the implementation of the initiatives. The Action Plan identifies areas critical to advancing the initiatives, including advocacy and global dialogue, innovation and resource mobilization. The report by the Smart Sustainable Development Model Initiative focuses on the link between ICT for Development (ICT4D) with ICT for Disaster Management (ICT4DM) and their role in sustainable development processes. ICTs can have a profound effect on individuals, communities, and nations as specific technological solutions can be utilized in all the phases of disaster management, including disaster preparedness, reduction, mitigation and post-disaster rehabilitation. However, without a favourable regulatory framework within which to operate, the benefits that ICT can provide are significantly reduced. The report urges governments to make telecommunication infrastructures more resilient to disasters, especially in developing countries where they are more susceptible to breakdown. The report will soon be available online.
